by Robin Jones
Hey onPeakers! Hope you all had an amazing holiday!
Now that the hustle of the holiday season is over, we are all, I suspect, looking forward to sunshine, warm weather, BBQ’s and summer Fridays! For those of you who, like me, are also planters, we are coming up on this season of beautiful garden and urban planting. For the season planter and the novice, I’ve included a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years, growing my indoor and outdoor plant babies! I hope this all helps you guys get your #plantlife on!
When to plant in Chicago:
Some of you may not know this, but the US is divided up into zones. The zones measure the hardiness of plants in that specific area. Chicago is zone 6a/6b. Simply, this is used to determine what plants are best to grow in this region ( https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
When starting my seeds for plants (flowers), my mom always used Mother’s Day as the starting point. Some wait for Memorial Day. If going by Temperature, If I consistently see 50 degrees or more for a solid week, I will start to get my planters out.
Perennials vs Annuals:
Perennials: Grow every spring. My favorite perennials to plant, that also do well in our zone are, Monkshood, Campanula Samantha. The coneflower, Turkish delights, Purple Swirls and lavender. Of course, there are many others as well!
Annuals: Live only for the season. Annuals that are beautiful in Chicago are sunflowers (my absolute favorite!), snapdragons, petunias, impatiens, geraniums, and Angelonias (these last well into September for me!)
Where to buy your new plants:
I’m always in full support of visiting your local greenhouse, but I also am conscientious of my wallet and when planning my urban oasis. I buy locally and from places like Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards. When it comes to chains, my favorite is Home Depot, as their plant gardens are extensive with great selections on all kinds of plants whether indoor or outdoor. They also have great soil and tools at great prices.
Helpful tricks:
- Make sure to read the labels on all plants regarding sunlight and how much they need.
- Use pots with drain holes as not to create root rot (too much water)
- Coffee grounds are great to mix in with your soil (you can visit your local Starbucks and ask for their coffee grounds).
- If you have any questions, please feel free to shoot me a chat/email and Happy Planting team!!
